Can-capping machine and feeding device thereto adapted.



V B. E. TAYLOR. CAN GAPPING MACHINE AND FEEDING DEVICE THERETO ADAPTED.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5, 1909.

Patented June 11,1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

g fiz/enzrx V Ear? (954016 Zly/o'r Wm Wffnwues QZzorney B. E. TAYLOR.

CAN GAPPING MACHINE AND FEEDING DEVICE THERETO ADAPTED.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.5, 1909.

1 ,O29 326, Patented June 11, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v I If; 5120817170274 B. 'E. TAYLOR.

CAN GAPPING MACHINE AND FEEDING DEVICE THERETO ADAP'I'ED.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.5, 1909.

Patented June 11, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I dfklrke f- B. E. TAYLOR.

' cm CAPPING ncamn AND rnnnmu DEVICE THEBETO ADAPTED.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.5, 1909.

Patented June 11, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

B SHEETSSHEET 5.

Patented June 11, 1912.

B. E. TAYLOR. OA N CAP HUG MACHINE AND FEEDING DEVICE THEBETO ADAPTED.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.5, 1909.

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B. E. TAYLOR. CAN CAPPING-MACHINE AND FEEDING DEVICE THERETO ADAPTED.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT'5, 1909.

1,029,326. Patented Jun 11, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

ffomey.

UNITED STAIJEpLIiALEENT OFFICE.

BURT EUGENE TAYLOR, ow RANDOLPH, New YORK, ASSIGNOB. TO BORDENS coN- DENSED-MILKCOMBANY. or NEW YORK, N. Y., A conPqRa'rIoN'oF NEW JERSEY.

.CAN-CKPPING MACHINE AND FEEmiiG DEVICE THEBETQ ,ADAPTED Specification o tLetters Patent. ,1 Patentedjune li,1912.

Application filed October 5, 1909. serial No. 521,125.

To alltbiimii, itjiiidy concern: Be it knox'ynthat'I, BURT EUGENE TAqY- LOR, acitizen'of the United States, and a resident of'Rand'olph, in the county of Cattaraugus'and State of New York. have invented 'certainnew and useful Improvements in Can-Capping Machines and FeedingDevices- Thereto Adapted, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates *to thatjc'lass of can" cap mg machines usually applied 'to cyf lin rical cans, such as condensed milk cans, having a. flanged openingin the top, on

which opening, after the cans have been filled v'viththe milk, is'placed a correspondingly 'fianged 'cap, which'is forcibly dc pressed into'said opening until said flanges contact, after which the said flange of the cap ,is 'cri'm'ped with the said flange of'the can to constitute an air-tight seam and exclusion of 'the contents from .the atmosphere. The cans, 'i nthe operations referred to, are" propel.led uprightly' 'supp.orted,' to the crimpingmeehanisrn, whereby l'o s's of contents is avoided.

The objects of my invention are to provide moreeconomicah etficient, and laborsaving devices"than' heretofore used, whereby the tilled cans are, automatically, fedto the points of operation, their caps forced down to :place, the cans centered by centering fingers, the crimped can removed from thecrimping mechanism, thetop 'of the can printed with thesdesired designation, and a pluralitv of'said cans automatically, intermittently, propelled in sequence through, and operated on. as described, in'ia single organized machine.

The aforesaid objec-ts I attain by means of the instrumentali'tie-s, devices, and combinations "of devices hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanvmg drawings. in which-- Figure 1V is a side elevation of parts of my machine. seen iii-the direction of arrow a,

on section a-a of!Fig. 2; Fig. '2 is a plan 2,. Seen in direction of arrow "0'; iFi'gi 5' is an enlarged plan .detail view showing mycentering fingers; ,Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan detail of my'imp roved chuck; Fig. 7 1s a side'elevati'on of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of Fig. 6, partly in section on line .d d of Fig. 6 and showing part o'fa can;

Fig. 9 'lS a similar view. the section being taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 6 and in part of the can; F g. 10 is, an enlarged ,detailside elevation of the chuck, showing my device for locking latter; Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail side' elevation of'my printing device, andsome of its actuating partsz-Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view -of. the chuck and crimper' operating cams, showing their i 'el ative timing; Figs. 13 to 16 are diagrammatic views illustratingconsecutive steps in crimping the caps to the caii's; Figs. 17. and 18 are diagrammatic views showing ditter ent .positions'of my capf presserfoot cams] during operation, F g. 19 is a diagrammatic View on enlarged scale of disks carrying pins whereby'a stepbystep rotationis imparted from main shaft to the sprocket wheel actuating the endless chain carrying" fiights which adv ance'the cans intermittently; Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic vie'won enlarged scale of disk, (in main'shaft, provided with pins which actuate the lever'by whibh the crimping mechanism is' turned '(in; Fig.21 is a diagrammatic View on enlarged scale of the cam, on main shaft,

which actuates the cap presser 'foot"; .Fig. 22 is a diagrammatic view' of enlarged scat-e -illustrating'the timing of the cap presser:

foot-operating earn relatively to the cam which actuates. the lower chuck .ofthe crimping.- device; Fig. 23 is a vsectional detail \lCW, on-enl-arged-scale, of my clutch controlling portion of the crimping inec ha nisni; Fig. 24 is ,a' top plan v ew, on ene large'd scale. of the headwhich controls said clutch, Fig. 25 is an enlarged rear elevationpf mechanism controlling operation of said clutch and my caln feeding'devices.

Similar reference numerals refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

It will be understood'fthat the crimping mechanism illustrated constitutes no part of my invention. except as hereinafter claimed in combination. but inasmuch as the censtruction, operation and effect of the criinperation.

.ing mechanism are affected by my present improvements, and they in turn thereby, it has appeared necessary to illustrate, and de- SOllbe, as I have done, one ,well known type of such crimping mechanism, to the end that my said improvements, and organized inachinecontaining them, may be fully understood.

Referring to Fig; 1, a crimping'mechanism is indicated by 1, the same'comprising a base 2, to hich an" upper frame 3 is secured. F ra e 3, adjacent the front thereof, 13 provided with a rotatable spindle 4, carrying at its lower end a th ereto relatively rowhen sleeve 7 is depressed by lever-arm 11,

actuated by cam 12. Chuck}; is moved ver tically by recess 13 in-eam-lt (see Fig. 12) through medium. of plunger-arm 15, leverarm 16 and vertically movable rod 17, the last above named elements being feturned to normal position after each. actuation by spring 18, cam 12 and cam 14 being shown in such position in Fig. 12. Cam 12 and cam 11' are mounted on shaft 19, carrying disk 20, carrying a 'slidable springactuated pin'21 (Fig. 23). Adjacent disk 20, on shaft 19, is gear 22, having recesses 23 therein adapted to be engaged by pin 21. Gear 22 is rotated by a pinion 23, which is, in turn, actuated by beveled gears 24 and 25, through belt 26 on pulley -27. Adjacent pulley 27 is a loose pulley 28 for the usual purpose- Spindle 4 is rotated through pulleys 29 and 30,connected by a belt 31. I Spindle 4, adjacent chuck 5. has secured thereto bracket 32, to which said arms 9 and are pivotally secured. These arms are each provided with a rotary crimper 33 and 3% respectively. Crimper 34 has a broader face than crimper The angle of the periphery, or working face, of erimper 3; is greater than that of crimper 33. Arm 5? is longer than armlO. It follows that 33 begins the crimping operation and 31 completes it. As sleeve 7 descends. ram 8 will first contact with frictioirroller 9 on arm J. and push latter outwardly, thereby causing 33 to contact flange of the can cap and turn it down and inwardly to an extent. Continued descent of Cam 8 forces-it against roller 10 on arm 10, moving latter outwardly, whereb 3 1 is, in turn. forced against the now partly crimped flange of said cap. and. owing to the greater pitch of itspe riphery, forces said flange firmly against the flange 40 of the can. Figs. loand 16 illustrate the said op- 33 and 34 rotate while performing their said function. It will be observed that the foregoing construction implies a pair of chucks relatively inovalbe toward and from turn. seeured to base 2 of the machine.

each other on a common axis, a crimpingconcentric with said axis, and means to so move said chucks and crimping device relatively to each other. The foregoiiig describes one form of crimping mechanism adapted to be utilized with, and subserve the action of, my said improvements, which I will now more particularly' describe.

;Th e cans, for instance of the cylindrical form-shown in the drawings (Figs. and 16), having been filled as usual through the openings 39 in theirtops with the desired contents, as for instance condensed milk, are moved, one by one -from under the nozzle of the pump utilized to accomplish said filling by a horizontally rotatable circular carrier. a portion of which is indicated -by 35 (Fig. 2), comprising peripherally disposed recesses 36, opening outwardly and each adapted to receive a can 37. ..My said carrier is horizontally rotated, step by step, in direction of arrow 38, the empty cans being fed tothe recess 36 in advance ofthe pump nozzle, not shown, by any suitable means. It

will be understood that the cans 37 shown in the drawings (Fig. 2, etc.) have all received. their quota of contents, e. 9., condensed milk, and the can flange, hereinbefore referred to, is, in the drawings, indicated by t'he'designation 40. As carrier 35 is intermittently rotated, the filled cans are, one by one, intro duced into my improved race-way, the'tloor of whichiis, in part, constituted by the surface of the table 55, and the'sides by stationary, laterally disposed, guidingmen bers, V

as for instancerails 41 and;42.

It will be observed, on reference to Fig.

Q that the ends of th'e;rails adjacentthe.

entrance of the race-way are. curved as shown. The saidcurved portions co-act, oln

the eansaasintroduced into said entrance b rotation of the carrier 35, to force the cans out of the said recesses in said carrier. Another part ofthe fioor of my said raceway is constituted .by an endless belt -13 Figs. 2 and 4). Belt43 is propelled in the direction in which the cans are pushed b v the carrier as'followsz On main-shaft of the ma'chine 45, is secured abeveled gear 14. which meshes with beveled idler gear P. loosely rotatably mounted on' shaft 41", rigidly secured-to horizontal cross-bar 48. Beveled gear 44. intermeshes in turn with be eled gear 44. secured to sleeve 44 on main driving shaft journaled in bearings 16. mounted in dependent supports 17. secured to horizontal bars 18, which are. in Belt '3 passes over sleeve H by which it is actuated. and over idler pulleys if). 50 and 51. carried in bearings .33, and Si (Fig. 3) under table 55. By thisv means propu fl iu the de ired direction is imparted to b 43 through agency of main-shaft.

Adjustability of upper surface of chuck (3, relatively to upper surface of table 55, I secure by mounting latter-on vertically adjustable slats, or supports, 57 (Fig. 3), said slats being mo ably secured to bars 48 as shown. Upper surface of belt 43 should be as nearly flush as possible with upper surface of table 55, as shown in Fig. 4. 58 in- 4 dicates additional guiding members, in continuation of rails 41, 42, to keep the cans in alinement.

I provide, adjacent the discharge end of belt l3, an endless can conveyer, in this instance comprising an endless sprocket-chain 61, longitudinallv disposed, as shown, at right angles to said belt. Said chain carries a plurality of flights 60, spaced to form, between them, pockets 59, each adapted to receive and loosely hold a can. 62 and 63 are sprocket-wheels, adapted to engage with said sprocket-chain, 62 being, in this instance. an actuating, and 63 an idler, wheel. Chain 61 is of the well known in terlocking link variety, the flights 60 being thereto secured in the usual manner of the link belt art. Sprocket-wheel 63 is mounted in bearings (l-l, adapted for longitudinal movement on bars l8 to permit tautening of chain 61 as desired. Actuating driving sprocket 62 is carried by rotatable countershaft (55, mounted in bearings (36, on bars 48 (Fig. (35 carries also a disk 67, having predeterminedly disposed projections,or pins, 68 (in this instance eight of them). To rotate shaft 65 is mounted on main-shaft 45 a disk (39. having also predeterminedly disposed projections. or pins, 70 (in this instance three of them). Mainshaft. 45 is rotated by belt pulley 71, a clutch 72 being employed to operatively connect said last mentioned pulley ano shaft as required. Said disks ()7 and 69, and their respective projections, or pins. are so proportioned. disposed and timed, relatively to each other, as to cause shaft G5 to rotate sufficiently to advance sprocket-chain 1 the distance between the centers of two adjacent cans, as held between the flights 60, each time one of pins 70 engages with and advances a pin 68. Therefore. in the construction illustrated, c....'n (31 is advanced three steps during each revolution of mainshaft 45. Fig. 19 illustrates relative movements of said pins, dotted lines showing a pin 70 approaching engagement with pin 68, and full lines same pin 70 about to leave pin 68.

The devices are so disposed, proportioned and timed that each step of chain 61 feeds a can under chuck 5 of the crimping mechanism and over chuck 6 into approximately the position shown in Fig. 1. During each one-third rotation of disk 69, a cycle of the crimping operations occurs. lVhile chain 61 is intermittently at rest, a can will be propelled by belt 43 into a therewith alined recess 59, between the flights 60 of the can feeding mechanism. Before said can enters said recess, an operator manually places a cap 72 over opening 39 of the can. Fig. 13 illustrates how said cap is thereby disposed. Said cap must, before the crimping mechanism is reached, be forced home into said opening, an operation which one of my improvements is designed to accomplish. as followsz-The aforesaid intermittent, step by step, advance of chain 61, brings the cans, one by one, under my cap presserfcot 73, which is normally supported above the path of said feeding mechanism, anterior the said crimping mechanism. I provide means to intermittently depress and raise said presser-foot while the can remains thereunder, during each intermission in the advance of said cans, thereby insuring the forcing of the caps into the aforesaid required position (Fig. 14). Said means are as follows :-Presser-foot 73 is normally supported abovethe path of feed of the cans sutficiently to admit free passage thereof thereunder, it being so upheld by a con centric portion 76 (Fig. 21) of a cam disk 77 on main shaft 45 (Fig. 3), on which rides a roller 77, connected with the rod 80, slidably supported in guideways 80, secured to the bar 48, said presser-foot 73 being sccured to the upper end of said rod 80. A

retractile spring 79 is secured to said rod.

and to a stationary part, 2'. 0. one of the bars 48. )Yhen a can, by my aforesaid intermittent feed; has been fed to, and left in ;mentarily static-nary in. a position under said presser-foot, a recess 78 in disk 77 will. by rotation of main-shaft 45,- have been brought to position relatively. to said roller. as indicated in Fig. 17, whereby spring 79 (Fig. 3) will pull down rod 80. and its thereby carried presser-fcot. to force the cap home as aforesaid. and continued rotation of disk 77 will thereafter again raise said presser-fcot to norilzal position above the pathway of the feeding mechanism. Under presser-foot 73, part of the otherwise solid surface of the floor of the can runway, i. 6. table 55, is cut away, to pro'idc an opening 74 in said floor passable a cap. Said opening. in the instance illus trated in the drawings, is shown provided with a grating of bars Tl, spaced to provide between them openings likewise passable by a cap, the object of this device being to provide an escape for caps acciden tally dislodged. and thus remove them from interfering with free passage of the cans.

I provide means for insuring the release of the cans from the crimping mechanism as fellows:--\djacent to cne side of the aforesaid crimping mechanism I provide a support 83. 011 said support is pivoted a posed adjacent said chuck 5, and above the path of saldfeedmg mechanism, and its opposite end disposed to be raised by said rod 80 through the medium'of another verti-' cally movable rod or plunger 82 (Fig. 1) connected with rod 80 by cross-arm 81. A retractile spring 83 is connected with said lever 83 and a stationary part to maintain the free operative end of said lever in normal position above the path of feed when not depressed by upward movement of rod 82 acting against the tension of spring 83 The said free working end of lever 83 is preferably of bifurcated conformation, as shown in Fig. 2, thus presenting two fingers Sal, 843, one on each side of said can releasing device, or straddling the line of concentric alinement between chucks 5 and 6, whereby, when the lever is depressed as aforesaid, is insureda positive and substantially equal pressure downward simultane ously cn twyb opposite sides of the can top, whereby its release in proper position from the crimping mechanism, to.which it often undesirably adheres, is insured. The canreleasing lever 83 and its bifurcated head SI, 8%, is depressed intermittently, as will be obvious, by the same before described caniaction which actuates the rod 80, the end 87 of said lever 83 being thereby forced upwardly by rod 82 (Fig. 1), whereby its bifurcated'jaw is caused to strike the can and force it down and off of chuck 5. When rod 80 slides down again, on continued rotation of cam-disk T7, spring 83 returns lever 83 to its said normal position, by pulling down its said end 87. Said release of the can takes place just before chain 61 is advanced another step to bring the following can between chuck 5 and chuck (3 and still another can to its required position under presser-foot 73.

I provide means to positively adjust the cans into position concentric with said common axis on which chucks 5 and 6 are movable relatively to each other, i. e. to exactly center them in the erimpig mechanism, which is of great importance and advantage in this art. To this end I employ a plurality of oppositely disposed and bearing spring-tensioned fingers, S8, S9,'having thelr free operative ends held normally to a circle --ncentric with said axis and coinciding with the cylindrical circumference of the can (Fig. Said fin ers 88, 8 9, on the right hand of the path or the feeding mechanism. as seen in Fig. 2, are pivotally connected to guard rail 90, secured to table 55 as at 90, said rail functioning, as aforesaid, to retain the cans in the pockets 59. The fingers 8:5 and 89 on the left hand of said pathway of the feeding device, as shown in Fig. 5, are pivoted to foot 91 of guide rail 92 as at 93 Guide rail 9213 provided with groove 93 (Fig, t) througi'i which chain 61 passes. The said fingers are connected by retractile springs 88', 89, with the adjustable blocks 95 (Figs. and 5) provided to adjust the gripping or operative ends 94 of said fingers relatively to circumference of the cans. The free ends 94 of said fingers being, as aforesaid, oppositely and concentrically disposed relatively to the said common axis of chucks 5 and 6, it follows that the cans and their then positioned caps will, by pressure of said fingers under tension, be positively and accurately centered concentrically with the aforesaid com mon axis of chucks, and crimpers, which is of great importance and advantage. As the cans are moved or fed toward and from their said concentricity with said axis, 2'. e. to center with said chucks, they will encounter and bear againstthe free or operative ends of said fingers, which stand movably tensioned in said path of the feeding mechanism and its thereby propelled cans. At this stage the fingers yield to allow passage of the can between them. After such passage has been accomplished, the fingers are retracted by their said springs toward normal position, thereby positively pushing the can to required center. Thus, in the construction above shown, the can having parted, and passed through, the first pair of fingers, is brought, approximately simultaneously with a pause in the feeding mechanism, into abutting contact with the operative ends of the second pair of fingers, whereupon the first pair are, by their springs, forced back into abutting contact with the can, and, cooperatingwvith the second pair of fingers, adjust the can to the exact position required, which is attained when the opposite ends of said fingers bring up against their respective stop-blocks 95. After the cap has been crimped, the now sealed can will, by the next advance of the sprocket-chain 61, be similarly forced between, and through, the second pair of fingers 88, whence it is finally pushed onto an ordinary conveyer belt 97, whereby it is removed to where desired.

I provide means to check the rotation of the can on its axis while subjected to the pressure and movement of the rotatory crimping mechanism. To this end I provide the chuck 6 with a plurality of raised portions, or gripping blades, 98 (Figs. 6 to 9), having their operative edges disposed upwardly and extending radially from said chucks center of alinement with chuck 5 and the crimpers. Said blades are so positioned in the chuck 6 as to engage. against the edge 99 in the bottom of the can. (Fi 9). The blades 98 are preferalily-not provided with an actual cutting, edge,- but are edged just sufficiently to enable them to exert strong friction without cutting the can, and thereby prevent latter from rotat ing while the crimpers are at work. Chuck 6 is also provided with a plurality of removable oppositely disposed members or blocks 100, having inwardly inclined faces, disposed concentrically with said chuck 6 and its aforesaid concentric alinemcnt with chuck 5 and other members of the crimping device (Figs. 6 and 8). The blocks 100 thus aid to preliminarily approximately center the cans, and the fingers 88, 89, finally bring them into exact position as aforesaid. The blocks 100 are preferably adapted to be interchanged for others of different dimensions to suit different sizes of cans.

I provide means to prevent chuck. 6 from chattering and enable it to resist rotatory impulses thereto communicatedthrough the can from strains exerted on latter by the crimpers. To this end I provide said chuck with transverse slots 102' (Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Bars 101 rigidly secured to a stationary part of the machine, as for instance to the table 55 as shown in Fig. 6, are disposed to extend slidably, at all times, through said slots in the path of the upward anddownward movements of chuck 6. Said bars therefore prevent chucks 6 from rotating without impeding its vertical reciprocation.

61, is operated as aforesaid by I accomplish the actuation or turning on of the crimping mechanism, when required, as follows :-When the feeding mechanism, comprising the sprocket-chain rotation of main-shaft 45, there is, thereby, imparted rotation to disk 105 (Figs. 1 and 3) secured to said main-shaft. vided with' predeterminedly disposed projections, or pins, 104. A lever 103 is pivoted to a stationary part, and is disposed with its free end normally in the path of said last mentioned projections. 106 is a vertically movable bar, having its lower end said heel 109 of connected with said lever, and its upper end provided with a head 107 (Fig. 24) having a curved portion 108 disposed normally in the path of a heel 109 on the hereinbefore referred to pin 21 (Fig. 23). Said head 107 of bar 106 is kept normallyin contact with pin 21 by the retractile 110 (Fig. 1) connected with said spring 103 and with a stationary part,

lever and disposed to return 106 to'normal position. 1 While the head 107' is in its uppermost position, the spindle 4 and other therewith connected operating elements of the crimping mechanism will re main at rest. \Vhen, however, the lever 103 is depressed by"pressure thereon from one of the pins 104, head 107 will be moved away from heel 109 of pin 21, whereby a leaf spring 111 (Figs. 23 and 25) forces p n 21 toward a recess 23 in gear 22, which said pin thereupon enters, and whereby ear 22, which, as aforesaid, nn+;i1b v meme d with disk 20, and

' ing Said disk 105 is proin jaw 119' said lever and baris constantly rotating,

motion thereby communicated to the crimpmechanism, and shaft 19 will make one revolution, but no more, because as soon as pin 104 leaves the end of lever. 103, said spring 110 causes head 107 to rise again into its normal position in the pathof heel 109.

\Vhen said heel, in the-course of its rotation, strikes again the curved end of head 107, it is forced inwardly, thereby withdrawing pin 21 from .the recess 23in ear 22.

To control the operation of the crimping mechanism and can feeding mechanism, I provide a lever .112' (Figs. 3 and 25), the lower end of which operates a. clutch 72. Intermediate the ends of lever 112, and above its pivotal point 113, (Fig. 25), I pivotally secure thereto one end of a link 114,

and the opposite end of said link also pivotally to a rocking-arm 115, th e upper end of which engages a pin 116 on bar 106, It is obvious that while said arm is in engagement with said pin, the mechanisms cannot operate. By moving upper end of lever 112 to the right (Fig. 25.) clutch 72 is thrown in, bar 106 released, and operative connection established between the constantly running pulley 71 and main-shaft 45 of the machine.

I provide means for printing automatically the top of the cans, after they have left the crimping mechanism, as follows 2-A bracket 120 (Figs. 2 and 3).is supported and disposed, adjacent to, and one side of, the path of said feeding mechanism. Pivoted to said bracket is a lever-arm 119, having its free end normally disposed behind the crimping mechanism and above the path of the feeding mechanism, end connected with an extension of the shaft 83 journaled insupport 83, carrying canrelea-sing lever 83, whereby latteris pivoted to said support. The aforesaid connection between shaft 83 and lever 119 is effected by means of arm 83 on said last'mentioned shaft, which arm carries a pin 122 engaging in lever 119, from which construction it. follows that when rod 80 is raised by cam disk 77, rear end of lever 83 is raised by rod 82, connected with rod 80 by arm 81, thereby imparting rotation to shaft 83 and thus to arm 83, whereby rear end of lever 119 is caused to rise and its operative end pressed down to bring its thereby carried type into contact with the can top for printing latter. The type 117 is carried by a dovetailed block 118 held in correspondingly shaped recess in lever 119 by pressure of a set screw indicated by dotted lines (Fig.

and its opposite 11) thus providing for interchange of like illustrated in the drawings, are not expressly referred to in this specification.

From the foregoing it follows that my herembetore described machine and im-, provements operate substantlally simultaneously on a plurality of cans, which are members of a group. manipulated as a whole, the operation being summarized as follows :-The carrier 35 feeds the cans, one by one, in a continuously consecutive procession into the raceway, where their propulsion is continued by thebelt 43, which feeds them, one by one. into adjoining re cesses between the flights carried by the sprocket-chain, traveling at right angles to said belt. The feed is step by step, or intermittent, and is actuated. and interrupted, by the same main-shaft, which, during-the periods of interruption, actuates substantially simultaneously the three operations on three members of the entire group of cans under treatment, to wit, 1, the down-forcing of the cap into position, 2, the removal of the can from the crimping mechanism after crimping, and, the printing, and which mainshaft also automatically turns on the crimping mechanism, the same main-shaft also simultaneously supplying the power which propels the cans into the recesses between the flights of the sprocket-chain conveyor, and also, intermittently, the power required for the operation of the fingers which center the can in concentric alinement with the chuck and crimping mechanisms.

It will be appreciated that my above described improvements are usefully applicable not only to cans specifically but also to any other cylindrical containers, including for instance bottles..wl1ich it is desired, in path of feed. to center accurately relatively to any thereon operating device and for any purpose. Therefore I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to cans only or to the crimping of caps thereon.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following, viz

l. The combination, with means to loosely hold, and feed in a horizontal path, toward a predetermined vertical axis a cylindrical container, of tour oppositely-bearing independently ll'i l'izt lltzlllfi movable spring-tensicned fingers having their operative'ends normally projecting into said path and yieldingl'y held on a circle-concentric with said axis and coinciding with the cylindrical circumference of said container.

9. The combination. with means to feed a cylindrical container to a position centering with.a'predetermincd axi of a pair of oppositely disposed spring-tensioned fingers having their operative ends disposed in the path of said feed and movably supported to positively impel said container toward said position, and another pair of oppositely disposed spring tensioned fingers having their operative ends likewise disposed in said path and movably supported to hold said container at said positi in against impulsion thereto imparted by said first mentioned pair of fingers.

3. The combination, with means to feed a cylindrical container to a position centering with a predctermined"aXis, of a pair of oppositely disposed spring-tensioned fingers having their operative ends (llSPU (l in the path of said feed and, movably supported to positively impel saidimtainer toward said position. another pair of oppositely lis posed sprind-tcnsioned fingers ha ing their ends likewise disposed in said path and movably supported to hold saiiEI-ontainer at said position against impulsion thereto imparted by said first mentioned pair of fingers, and means to hold. against their said spring impulsion. the operative ends of all said fingers normally in said path andion a predetermined circle concentric with said 2'5 cumference of said container.

4. In a can-capping machine a crimping mechanism comprising a pair of chucks relatively movable on a common axis. a crimping device rotatable relatively thereto in paths concentric with said axis, and means to so move said chucks and crimping device. a shaft, means to rotate it, a cam ,on said shaft. a roller riding on said cam. a slidably supported rod connected with aid roller, a can feeding mechanism. means to actuate intermittently said can-feeding mechanism whereby a can is fed to. left between, and advanced from between said chucks. a support adjacent one sidc of said crimping mechanism. pivoted to said support a lever having its free end normally disposed adjacent to said chucks and above the path of said feeding mechanism. and its opposite end disposed to be raised by said rod. a spring connecting said rod with a stationary part, and a spring connected with said lever to maintain it in its said normal position.

5. In a can-capping machine a crimping mechanism comprising a pair of chucks relatively movable on a common axis. a crimping device. rotatable relatively thereto in paths concentric with said axis. and means to so move said chucks and crimping device, in combination with a can-teeding mechanism. means to actuate intermittently said feeding mechanism whereby a plurality of cans are intermittently ad vanced in sequence toward and from said crimping mechanism. a bifurcated movable can-releasing member normally supported above the path of said feeding mechanism adjacent said chucks its bifurcation strad dling said axis. and means to intermittently depress and raise said member during each intermission in the advance f said cans,

axis and coincidin with the cylindrical cirwhereby they chucks.

tively movable on a common axis, a crimping device rotatable relatively thereto in paths concentric with said axis,-and means to' so move said chucks and crimping device, a shaft, means-to rotate it, a cam on said shaft, a rollerriding on said cam, a slidably supported rod connected with said roller, a can feeding mechanism, means to actuate intermittently said can-feeding mechanism whereby 'a can is fed to, left between, and

advanced from between said chucks,'a support adjacent one side of said crimping mechanism, pivoted to said support a lever having a bifurcated free end normally disposed adjaccnt to said chucks and above the path of said feeding mechanism, and its opposite end disposed to be raised by said rod,

a spring connecting said -rod with a stationary part, and a spring connected with said" lever to maintain in its'said normal position.

7. In a machine for the pu'rpose set forth,

- the combination of a horizontally disposed main-shaft; a can-runway projecting in parallelism with and at a higher levelthan said main-shaft; a can-propelling mechanism comprising an endless sequence of flights; means operatively connected withsaid main- ,shaftto advance-said flights intermittently in the path of said runway; movably supported by a stationary part adjacent said runway a presser-foot having its operative end above said runway; means operatively connected with said main-shaft to depress said operative end of said presser-foot during each pause in said advance,ofsaid flights; behind said presser-foot, supported adjacent to and in the path of said runway, a crimping device and a can-centering de vice; means to normally actuate said crimping device, means to intercept such actuation, means operatively connected with said main-shaft to terminate sucl1= interception at the beginning of each pause in said advance of said flights, movably supported by a stationary part adjacent said crimping mechanism a can releasing member having its operative end above said runway, means operatively connected with said mainshuft to depress said operative end of said can releasing member after each said interception of actuation of said crimping device and during each pause in the advance of:

said cans, whereby, during rotation of said main-shaft, a plurality of cans in procession is simultaneously fed through the machine, each of said, cans caused to pause in turn in operative relation-to said presser-foot, said crimping device, and said cap-releasing member, and a plurality'of said cans operated upon thereby during each said pause.

8. In a can-capping machine, a crimping mechanism comprising a pair of chucks relatlvely movable ona common axis, means to so move said chucks, means to intermittently feed a can between said chucks, a

stationary support adjacent one side of said crimping mechanism, PlVOtQdYtO said support a. lever having a free operative end disposed adjacent to said chucks, a spring connecting a stationary part with said lever and tensioned to normally maintain its said operative end above the path of the can feedas aforesaid, a main. shaft, and means oper-. atively connected therewith to intermittentlydepress against the stress of said spring said free end of said lever whereby said can may be positively forced from one of said chucks.

9. In a can-capping machine a crimping mechanism comprising a vertically movable chuck and a pathway for a can thereunder, astationary support adjacent one side of said crimping mechanism, pivoted to said support a lever having a free operative end disposed adjacent to said chuck, means to normally maintain said end above said path- 'way, a main shaft. and'means operatively connected therewith to intermittently depress said end whereby said can may be positively forced away from said chuck.

10. The combination, with means to loosely hold, and fecdin a horizontal path, toward a predetermined vertical axis, :1 cylindrical container, of a plurality of oppo sitcly-bearing, independently, horizontally, movable pivoted fingers, springs disposed to yieldingly hold the operative ends of said fingers in said path. and adjustable blocks disposed to positively hold said ends againstthe stress of said springs on a predetermined circle concentric with said axis and coinciding withthe cylindrical circumference of said container.

BURT EUGENE TAYLOR Witnesses:

PEARL M. SIMMONS, RALPH W. HUNTLEY. 

